Funerals of Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, wife held in Kashmore, Karachi

KARACHI: The funeral prayers of Sindh Planning and Development Minister Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, who was found dead alongside his wife earlier on Thursday, were offered today in his ancestral village in Kurrampur, Kashmore.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and other senior leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party were in attendance. 

The prayers were led by Maulana Wazir Ali Jatoi at the Grid Station Ground.

A public holiday was declared in Jacobabad and Kandkot today in light of the funeral.  

Bijarani and his wife, Fariha Razak Haroon, were found dead Thursday morning at their residence in the city's Defence locality. The police said on Friday that they suspect a domestic dispute to be behind the incident, adding that Bijarani reportedly shot dead his wife and then killed himself.

Bijarani's body was moved from Sukkur to his ancestral town Kurrampur in Kashmore District in the form of a procession. Earlier, the body was flown via helicopter from Karachi to Sukkur airport.

On the other hand, the funeral prayers of Fariha took place in Karachi's Sultan Masjid.

Officials have confirmed that the couple was shot dead and the bodies discovered after their son, MNA Mir Shabbir Ali Bijarani, arrived at the house. 

Bijarani is stated to have received one bullet wound to the head whereas his wife was shot thrice. 

Police said they are waiting for the fingerprints and forensics report as well as the complete post-mortem, after which an official statement will be released to the media.

Bijarani's life and political career

Bijarani was born on July 10, 1946, in Karampur, Sindh, and belonged to a family that was prominent in the PPP as well as Sindh politics. 

He completed his Bachelors from National College Karachi, later doing his MA in political science and LLB from Sindh Muslim Law College.

In 2013, Bijarani was elected from the PS-16 constituency of Jacobabad-Kashmore. 

He also represented the constituency in 1974 and 1977 and has remained an MNA and a senator.